I sat outside on the hammock tonight, ignoring the incessant clatter of my to-do list. Since launching our new company (have you seen our Visual Creatives website yet? We're really pleased with it!) these moments have been few and far between. Travel, connecting, doing, creating: these are the new words of my days. But not tonight. Tonight I sat and…
"And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him/ Who then can understand the thunder of his power? -- Job 26:14 I've seen God do some amazing things in the past few weeks. Perhaps my favorite is God's total transformation of our friend Bob. Bob was addicted to pain pills and alcohol for 15 years at least -- the growing-up years of his two precious daughters. The girls gave up on…
[caption id="attachment_1672" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Yes, here we are...all of us!"][/caption] Indulge me in just a little rambling about our family for a moment. Last week we returned from our family reunion in Park City, Utah. I had never been to Utah, but after this trip I know two things: it's beautiful and it is cold! All 20 of us from five states gathered together for a few days of skiing, spa and family dinners. My mom spent her days with…
[caption id="attachment_1650" align="alignnone" width="223" caption="Riley Perry...sweetie in pink!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1651" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="The lovely Irvine girls!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1652" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="The reward at the end of the day"][/caption] I sat in a rocking chair today and rocked the sweetest girl, little Miss Riley Perry. She squirmed and fussed and then settled into the crook of my arm to sleep and dream. And dream she does. You can see it scampering across her little face. While I sat rocking Riley I…
[caption id="attachment_1628" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My brothers Jeff (left) and Garth (right)"][/caption] I've spent some time today thinking about my brothers. I had two of them, 6 and 8 years older than I. They tortured me and I loved it. I tattled on them and they didn't love it. They were great brothers. Both of them are gone now, and have been gone for many years. But somehow it doesn't matter how long they've been gone, I miss them. You see,…
I love to tell stories. No big secret there. But I have discovered lately that the best and the worst ministry stories can rarely be shared. There is always a person who would be embarrassed or a desire to keep the left hand from knowing what the right hand is doing. Good things, those, but they prevent us from sharing the power of the gospel at times. I've been in a ministry phase like that. One that is kind of…
[caption id="attachment_1261" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="My brother-in-law Clint shares a French Press with us!"][/caption] One of my Twitter friends, @givelovecoffee, commented about the great Third Space at Willow Creek Church this morning. Her less-than-140 character assesment was "Life happens over coffee." I couldn't agree more! I am just finishing the longest blogging break I've had since I started Coffee Shop Journal. David and I are in Portland, Oregon, for the wedding of my first cousin's daughter. I hate that description, because…
It was hard to find a parking spot in my own driveway today. There were Princess mobiles everywhere. And the driveway was truly just the beginning. Inside the house were squealing, giggly girls of all ages from 16 to 27, fluttering and gilding themselves. There was one lone Prince, waiting for all the furor to pass. Jillian is Princess of the day, throwing a lovely "Bippity Boppity Boo Ball" for her 16th birthday (which is officially tomorrow). I'm walking around…
Once more David and I are in an intense travel season. We were in Boston for Mother's day, and now are in Atlanta to greet the newest member of our family, Lucy Belle Nichols. Next we are heading to the retirement village to show my Mom her new home. And did I mention that we packed up my oldest daughter from college, where she just completed her freshman year? I think I could be the poster child for "The Sandwich…
Today I'm welcoming my favorite guest blogger ever to Coffee Shop Journal! You get a chance to meet my daughter, Kylie, and read some of the words she's written that have moved me to laughter and tears...all in one paragraph. Usually I keep most of our "personal" life off this blog, choosing to share those things on Facebook or my other blog (rarely!). But last night I read a note that my oldest daughter wrote in response to a Facebook…
